Premium revision for social insurance schemes to restore insurer viability and encourage broader participation and coverage expansion.
Premium rates for PMJJBY and PMSBY were revised w.e.f. 1 June 2022 to address sustained adverse claims experience and insurer losses; the adjustment standardises premiums to a revised daily rate to restore economic viability for implementing insurers, encourage wider insurer participation, and support continued DBT transmission of claims to beneficiaries, while forming part of a policy drive to expand subscriber coverage among underserved populations.

Investment Incentive Agreement expands development finance support, enabling DFC tools and continued facilitation of investment projects in partner jurisdiction.
The Investment Incentive Agreement supersedes the 1997 arrangement and establishes the legal basis for the successor development finance agency to provide investment support, specifying permitted instruments-debt, equity, guaranty, insurance or reinsurance, feasibility studies and grants-and thereby enabling continued and expanded development-oriented financing across sectors such as vaccine manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energy, SME finance, financial inclusion and infrastructure.

Excise duty cut lowers petrol and diesel retail tax incidence and prices, with call for state VAT reductions to deepen relief.
The government reduced central excise duty on petrol and diesel, lowering central tax incidence and retail pump prices after accounting for other levies and state VAT. State-level VAT differences continue to produce price variation. State-owned retailers passed on the cut despite squeezed margins. Concurrently, a direct cash LPG subsidy for eligible Ujjwala beneficiaries was announced, with the Finance Ministry urging states to cut local sales tax or VAT to extend relief.

International economic diplomacy: India to present a unified investment and reform agenda at a global forum; FTA talks follow.
Shri Piyush Goyal will lead a unified India delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos to project India as an investment destination and stakeholder in global economic discussions, using India and State Lounges to showcase policy reforms, energy transition, digital economy, National Monetization Pipeline opportunities, entrepreneurship, talent development, and healthcare innovation. A pre-departure briefing endorsed a common India-first strategy. Post-Davos, the minister will visit the United Kingdom to advance Free Trade Agreement negotiations and discuss the timeline for their conclusion.

Foreign direct investment inflow growth signals record annual investment and increased manufacturing equity participation nationwide.
India recorded a record annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in FY 2021 22, with a 76% rise in FDI equity into Manufacturing. The Computer Software and Hardware sector received about one quarter of equity inflow, while Karnataka was the top recipient state. The release links this performance to ongoing liberalisation and a largely automatic route FDI policy, alongside recent reforms across multiple sectors to enhance ease of doing business and attract investment.

Merger clearance: approval of OFB Tech's acquisition of majority stake in SMW Ispat, enabling change of control.
The proposed combination entails OFB Tech Private Limited acquiring a majority stake in SMW Ispat Private Limited, effecting a change of control; OFB Tech is a wholesale trader in bulk raw materials and SMW Ispat manufactures steel products. The transaction has received competition approval and a detailed order will follow.

Merger by absorption approved: consideration includes acquisition of an equity stake in the target company.
CCI approves a merger by absorption in which Covidshield Technologies Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serum Institute Life Sciences, will be merged into Biocon Biologics Limited, and the Acquirer will receive an equity stake in the Target on a fully diluted basis; detailed order to follow.

Infrastructure planning via interoperable GIS and APIs enables coordinated, data-driven project implementation and collaborative regulation.
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan is presented as a technology-led framework using nearly 400 GIS-based maps and interoperable APIs to enable integrated, time bound infrastructure planning across government, reduce duplication, and revive stalled projects through data-driven interagency coordination; complementary regulatory measures emphasise collaborative regulations and RegTech platforms to facilitate co-creation and sharing of telecom and digital infrastructure while advancing digital inclusion through interoperable identity and mobile access.

Board empowerment to recommend disinvestment and closure enables parent public enterprises to pursue transactions with in-principle approval.
Boards of holding/parent public sector enterprises are authorized to recommend and undertake disinvestment (strategic and minority stake sales) or closure of subsidiaries, units, or JV stakes, subject to open, competitive-bidding processes and guiding principles; an Alternative Mechanism may grant in-principle approval and review the parent PSEs' processes, with DIPAM and DPE issuing the respective guiding principles.

Startup ownership protection urged to retain original promoters while promoting incorporation, listing and innovation hubs in India.
The Council directed policy support to boost VC funding, capacity building and awareness in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, emphasised protecting startup ownership with original promoters and encouraged incorporation and listing in India alongside developing innovation hubs. It reported progress on National Mentorship, Investor Startup Matchmaking and Incubator Capacity programs. The NavIC Grand Challenge was launched to promote NavIC adoption and to identify and handhold startups building NavIC enabled drones, within the DPIIT constituted multi stakeholder advisory framework.

Lab grown diamonds policy push for R&D and skilling to boost production, technological self-reliance and exports
Promotion of the lab-grown diamond sector centers on Research and Development, setting up common enabling facilities, and large-scale skilling to achieve technological self-reliance in production machinery and leadership in output. The initiative recognizes HPHT and CVD as the main production technologies and notes industrial applications beyond jewellery that increase strategic value. India's strength in cutting and polishing and recent export growth underpin a market-oriented approach, with projected employment expansion linked to coordinated government-industry measures to enhance R&D, infrastructure, workforce capability, and export competitiveness.

WPI inflation rises as fuel, metals and food price increases push wholesale price pressures nationwide.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation (base 2011-12) was provisional 15.08% in April 2022 and the WPI Food Index rose to 8.88%. Monthly WPI increased 2.08% from March 2022, with Primary Articles up 2.70%, Fuel & Power up 2.79% and Manufactured Products up 1.69%. The April rise was led by mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, food articles and chemicals. Provisional figures are compiled with an 83% weighted response rate and will be finalized under the WPI revision policy.

Government security repayment: holders must provide bank details for electronic credit or tender securities at paying offices before maturity.
Repayment of the 8.15% government security is payable at par on maturity and stops accruing interest from that date; if a State Government declares a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, paying offices in that State will repay on the previous working day. Under Government Securities Regulations, 2007 sub regulations 24(2) and 24(3), maturity proceeds are payable by pay order with bank particulars or by credit to the holder's bank account via electronic means, for which holders must submit bank particulars in advance. Absent such particulars, holders may tender duly discharged securities at designated paying offices twenty days before maturity.

Smuggling enforcement targets cross-border gold syndicates, intelligence-led operation yields seizures, vehicle detentions and arrests nationwide.
Intelligence-led interceptions on a national highway disrupted an organised cross-border gold smuggling syndicate from the Indo Myanmar border; after simultaneous stops of two oil tankers and a truck, concealed gold biscuits were recovered from multiple vehicle compartments, five suspects were arrested, and three vehicles were seized, with further investigations ongoing.

Concealment of gold detected and seized from imported air cargo following an intelligence-led inspection operation.
An intelligence-led operation uncovered sophisticated concealment of high-purity gold within imported triangle valves; after detailed inspection officers effected the seizure of gold concealed in multiple valve components, demonstrating detection of elaborate concealment techniques and the role of targeted intelligence in countering smuggling.

Bilateral trade talks aim to strengthen investment ties and explore pathways to increase trade between the two countries.
A UAE ministerial delegation visited India to hold high-level meetings with commerce officials and engage in B2B events, industry interactions, and investor meetings in New Delhi and Mumbai, aiming to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties and to explore avenues for expanding commercial cooperation between the two countries.

Bilateral economic engagement: Oman delegation to India for joint commission and business council meetings strengthening trade ties.
A high-level multi-sectoral delegation from Oman will visit India from 10-14 May 2022 led by the Omani Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. The 48-member delegation includes officials and business representatives from health, pharmaceuticals, mining, tourism, telecommunications, energy, shipping and real estate. The visit focuses on the 10th India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting on 11 May and a Joint Business Council meeting on 12 May, alongside B2B events, industry interactions and investor meetings to strengthen bilateral economic ties and promote investment.

Trade cooperation: India and Italy propose a fast-track mechanism to boost bilateral investment and sectoral industrial partnerships.
India and Italy are advancing a strategic economic partnership by institutionalising a fast track mechanism to accelerate economic cooperation and harness bilateral trade and investment complementarities. Co-operation will focus on priority sectors including railways, defence and aviation, automotives and electric mobility, food processing, leather, textiles and fashion, infrastructure financing, fintech, green energy, telecom, energy transition, and space and technology, alongside measures to promote SMEs, industrial partnerships, and linkages through multilateral and regional frameworks.

Startup valuation milestone: India reaches a centennial unicorn benchmark, signaling rapid sectoral growth and broader geographic spread.
India's startup ecosystem has reached 100 Unicorns, with recent rapid additions and substantial aggregate valuation. The release highlights accelerated year-on-year growth in unicorn formation, a wide range in time taken to achieve unicorn status, DPIIT recognition of tens of thousands of startups across all States and Union Territories, and sectoral diversification. It links these developments to government recognition frameworks and the objectives of the Startup India initiative and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Industry 4.0 adoption urged for SMEs to boost productivity and sustainability while government facilitates manufacturing and exports.
SMEs are encouraged to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies to boost productivity, efficiency and sustainability, with emphasis on spreading these practices to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The Government positions itself as a facilitator, promoting manufacturing and exports through measures such as Production Linked Incentives, trade agreements and Ease of Doing Business reforms, and by reducing compliance burdens via the National Single Window to support industry transformation.